On October 15, Michael Wildes held an author Q & A at the Englewood Public Library, Englewood, New Jersey, to discuss his new book, “Safe Haven in America: Battles to Open the Golden Door.” Raquel Wildes, Michael’s daughter, who holds a B.A. from Columbia University and an M.S. from Columbia University School of Journalism, and is a third-year law review student at The Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York City, was the moderator for the evening.

Whether it’s the long-term impact of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on immigration policy or the latest twist in separating children from migrants seeking asylum, Michael Wildes’ opinion has been sought by a range of news organizations, from Fox News to CNN. He speaks with the hard-won experience of nearly a quarter century on the front lines of the immigration controversy, as an attorney and as managing partner of the premier immigration law practice in the country. His views have not always been popular—at times he’s had to back up his lawyer’s suit with a bulletproof vest—but they’re never dull.

With the publication of “Safe Haven in America: Battles to Open the Golden Door,” Wildes doesn’t travel over well-worn legal and political terrain. He presents case histories that read more like espionage thrillers, populated with KGB agents, nuclear whistleblowers and even accused terrorists fighting for their lives as well as legal standing in the U.S. But he also tells human stories—tales of children kidnapped to foreign countries in bitter divorce battles, families all but destroyed by the attack on the World Trade Center, a hero’s shabby treatment after standing up to terror and a young DACA recipient becoming the target of a hate attack.

From managing media expectations with bombshell political revelations to the day-to-day demands of running a practice with office in four states, Wildes presents a look behind the scenes of one of America’s perennial political flashpoints, along with startling disclosures from some of his most riveting cases.